READY TO GO — After two big wins at Harding Stadium in the first two rounds of the Division II playoffs, Big Red’s playoff run now heads to a neutral site as Steubenville will take on Dover for a second time this season Friday night in the Region 11 semifinals at Carrollton. - Andrew Grimm

CARROLLTON — It’s not often in high school football that teams meet more than once in the same season.

One of those rare instances will take place Friday night in Carrollton.

Both having taken care of business in the first two rounds of the playoffs, Steubenville Big Red and Dover are set to meet again in a rematch of a clash at Harding Stadium all the way back in Week 5.

This time, though, there’s a trip to the Division III, Region 11 championship on the line when the teams take the field for a 7 p.m. opening kick in Carrollton.

And, just because Big Red rolled to a 42-7 win in the first meeting some eight weeks ago, fans of the Crimson and Black should take the Tornadoes lightly as they’ve improved drastically since then, as evidenced by them pulling a pair of upsets the last two weeks on the road.

The No. 11 seed, Dover toppled No. 6 Granville 33-0 to open the playoffs, then came back from a 21-0 deficit to stun No. 3 Tri-Valley, 37-35, last week.

Since their loss at Harding Stadium, Dover has won six of seven games.

“They’re a different team now,” Big Red head coach Reno Saccoccia said. “They’re Dover. I’ve been around the playoffs for 42 years and I’ve never heard anyone say they wanted to play Dover in the playoffs.

“They’re a good football team. It’s two different teams now. We’re not the same team we were when we played them the first time and neither are they.”

Friday’s playoff meeting will be the 30th all-time between the tradition-rich programs, Big Red owning a 22-6-1 advantage.

The Tornadoes average 32.9 points per game, while Big Red scored an average of 37.3.

“They’re more balanced between run and pass,” Saccoccia said. “Their quarterback is the heart and soul of the team, he just makes them go. They’re very gap-sound and they play good defensive football.”

That quarterback is Jack Judkins, who passed for more than 2,000 yards in the regular season with 24 total touchdowns and more than 2,400 all purpose yards. Running back Justice Hughes scored 10 touchdowns prior to the postseason, while senior receivers Daylen Clark and Caden Schie have both been solid targets for Judkins, the junior QB.

Big Red, meanwhile, enters unbeaten at 12-0 and is the No. 2 seed in the region, having taken care of Delaware Buckeye Valley 47-7 and Athens 35-14, both at Harding Stadium in the first two rounds.

The first playoff trip for Big Red will be a first, as Steubenville has not played a game in Carrollton before.

“We’re looking forward to going to Carrollton,” Saccoccia said. “We’ve never been there before, I’ve never been there before. But, right now the focus is having a good rest of the week of practice and being ready for the game.”

The winner of Friday’s game will meet the winner of No. 1 Columbus Bishop Watterson and No. 4 Newark Licking Valley, who meet in the other regional semifinal, in next week’s regional final.